Canadian Immigrant - November 2023

Are you mindful or is your mind full?
Learning to live in the moment can reduce anxiety, stress and pain
We live in a society that has succumbed to the belief that if you
are somehow not “busy” then you are not being productive. We
wear fatigue like a badge of honour and complain about how
busy and tired we are while others nod in agreement.
But how sustainable is this? Not very, if you read the research.
In 2022, Statistics Canada reported that over five million Canadians (18
per cent) aged 15 to 24, met the diagnostic criteria for a mood, anxiety
or substance disorder within the previous 12 months. Additionally, 36
per cent of people living with a mood, anxiety or substance use disorder
reported having unmet or only partially met health and mental health
care needs.
One of the encouraging responses to this mental health crisis has been
the rise of mindfulness.
Mindfulness has gained tremendous popularity during the last 30
years in large part to people like Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of Mindfulness
Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and author of Full Catastrophe Living.
WELLNESS
LIVING
Kabat-Zinn began applying the foundational principles of mindfulness
meditation to patients within medical settings, which produced notable
results including helping to manage debilitating conditions like chronic
pain.
Since then, thousands of people have completed his multi-week MBSR
program and increased their ability to manage their responses to stress,
pain and other conditions including epilepsy.
“When we practice mindfulness, we are more aware of our thoughts,
emotions and actions as they occur,” says Rosie Smith, a registered
psychotherapist and director of adult services with Epilepsy Toronto.
“It allows us to notice changes in our mood and feelings moment by
moment. In this way, rather than push away negative thoughts and
emotions, we can learn to accept them as is, with compassion rather
than the judgements we often attach. In this way we can be more at
peace with ourselves.”
Smith goes on to say that as more research is being done in the field
of mindfulness, it is showing benefits for both emotional and physical
wellbeing: improving the health of those with high blood pressure, heart
disease, sleep issues and even weight loss.
“I have worked with many clients with anxiety and depression
and over the years have incorporated mindfulness in my Cognitive
Behavioural Therapy (CBT) practice as well as taught mindfulness-based
stress reduction strategies to those who need it,” says Smith. “I utilize
mindfulness practices in my individual therapy sessions as well as in
group settings. I also try to live my life mindfully.”
There’s no question that moving from one country to another and
starting an entirely new life can be disruptive and overwhelming. Whether
it is people fleeing violence in their homeland or dealing with the crushing
feelings of trying to adapt to the rhythms of a whole new culture. Thus, it
becomes easy for newcomers and immigrants to fall prey to the anxiety
of an uncertain future or the haunting refrains of a depressive past. The
result is that these feelings take you out of the present moment.
When applying mindfulness, try to remember that your thoughts,
emotions and sensations change from moment to moment. Try to focus
on what you are observing or feeling now and accept without judgment
attached. When your mind wanders try to bring yourself back to the
present moment.
Most importantly, be kind to yourself. You are no doubt going to
experience disruptive thoughts and feelings, but these are just visitors.
They come and go. A compassionate attitude towards yourself can go a
long way.
This is really just the first step in your mindfulness journey. There are
many Canadian resources available to help get you started. One of these is
the Canadian Mindfulness Centre (canadianmindfulness.ca).
“One of the areas of mindfulness that people often don’t realize is that
it is not necessarily the same as meditation, which means you don’t always
have to set aside 20 minutes of your day to practice mindfulness even
though you can,” says Smith.
Smith says that mindfulness can be practiced through everyday
activities such as mindful walking, mindful eating or mindful breathing.
“I believe our stress levels will be greatly reduced if we learn to do one
thing at a time thus enjoying the pleasant activities in a more meaningful
way while at the same time being more aware of our emotions so we can
address them earlier. After all, we cannot change what we
don’t notice.”
Carter Hammett is a freelance writer with two decades of
experience in social work, employment counselling and adult
education.
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